I can count hundreds of things that we can learn from little kids but for this post I would love to confine to three. Little kids, number three, gel well, I think so. And here I go…

1.Play, Fight and Forget. Yesterday there was a fight. I think every day there is a fight. The fight was between my son and his gang of friends. They seem to be pro at it. Every now and then these kids come to my home and report that X has said something to Y, Y has pushed Z and Z has decided to take X and Y to home. So when they come, I immediately take up my position as an inspector, detective, lawyer, judge and then finally as a counselor. And after analysis, when I get ready with my moral, well crafted, well prepared speech, ready to be delivered in best of my rising tone in their front , these boys run back. And I feel foolish and small in front of them. But I love them for letting go.

So, the lesson learnt from these Play Fighters is: Play, Fight, Forget and Let go .

2.Charging Happiness. Few days back I felt I was attacked by Dementors, who sapped my happiness and left me cold and sad (Dementors from Harry Potter). I tried to work, but couldn’t. I tried to focus, but couldn’t. I tried to read, but couldn’t. And then, when my son came back from school, I decided to spend my time with him. He took me to his world, made me playful, this worked and I was happy again. We watched Stuart Little, made paper planes, paper boats and drew some crazy stuff and I felt immediately charged up. Although, half of the time he drains me, but I also know how he works as my happiness charger.

So, the lesson two learnt from them is, be in their company and keep on charging your happiness batteries.

3.Creativity, inquisitiveness, and focus. Observe these kids when they draw, sketch, play or watch TV. They are highly focused and you may find it truly difficult to divert their attention. They do what they love, one thing at a time and no multitasking. Their focus is always at its peak.

And have you ever seen these kids engaged in drawing? They can draw the sun, the moon, the starts, Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Megatron, Barbie, Hot wheels and abc and xyz all together in one combo pack of A-4 size sheet. Can you believe it? The colours of their sky can be black, grey or mauve and the ground can be of blue, purple or dark yellow and yes when you laugh and giggle at their art, don’t be surprised if one of them says to you, “it is not that funny.” And when in their inquisitive mode, they fire questions such as why circle is not square, why the Sun is not the moon, why can’t we see air or walk on it and why can’t we drink air for that matter, making you truly crazy and giving challenge to your Einsteinian mind, I bet, you simply love them for that. These little Helloweens every day teach us to be creative, inquisitive and highly focused.

Credit: Google Images

They love us for what we are, without any demands and without any reservations. We shout them at night and next morning they open their eyes and wish us good morning with their sweetest smile making our day happier and brighter. They hug and kiss us without any expectations. They teach us to be fearless and audacious, innocent and how to laugh irresistible. They do not care what others talk about them, they are happy the way they are. They teach us how to love, be selfless and be egoless. They are dreamers, Prince and Princess of their imaginary world.

Let us walk into their worlds, spend some time there and learn the lessons to find happiness and how to laugh without any cause!

Standing tall, this wall has witnessed many invaders and seen many battles. Build with the purpose to protect its country from external invasions, raids and with the purpose to control border, regulation of trade and control on citizen’s migration, this wall stands today as a symbol of rich cultural heritage and one of the greatest human feats in historical architecture. Beginning its life’s journey in the 7th century BC, the wall reached its greatest extent in the 1368-1644 at the time of Ming Dynasty, claiming itself to be the longest wall in the human history. It took massive human strength, action and courage to build this wall. The wall known as THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA in the world.

Now what do I suggest. I suggest building a Great Wall within. Why?

TO FIGHT THE DISTRACTION DRAGON

Because invaders were earlier and they are today also. These invaders may come from any side and attack us. But the biggest and the fiercest one, according to me, is the Distraction Dragon of today. This Distraction dragon is horribly beautiful. A ten-headed dragon, with five visible heads and five invisible, it slithers with its long tail, scaly skin and attacks with its sharp claws our time and devour our energy and resources. It pounces fast and kills slow. Using our beautiful possessions as gimmick such as our mobile phones, TV screens , lap tops, tabs and all kinds of latest gadgets, it entices us. Making us fool every time. Defeating our purpose every time. Distracting us every time, from our most important tasks. And through its invisible heads which are: fear, anxiety, negative thinking, stress, procrastination, it enters inside our bodies and become our persistent enemy. It kills our inner self every day and just like phoenix, we take birth from our own ashes every day.

I too was its victim, brutally tortured by this fiercely vigilant distraction dragon many a times. It attacked me severely . So I have decided to build a great wall within.

THE GREAT WALL WILL PROTECT US FROM THE DRAGON AND WILL ALLOW US TO WORK BETTER AND LIVE BETTER

Because a dragon can only kill another dragon and save us. I think, this distraction dragon can only be defeated by the dragon length wall. And by building the dragon wall, the great wall within, we can save ourselves. The wall which will bear its attack and will ward off its every anger. Since the distraction dragon works all day long, 24*7, like a parasite surviving on our own energy, giving as false contentment and enrichment and we are always vulnerable to its false deception.

Since we are the kings and queens of our own dynasty, it is important for us to be safe. When we are safe, then we will be able to take care of our internal castle of dreams, goals, ambitions and family objectives. By building such robust great wall, we too can protect ourselves from the distraction dragon. The sooner we build the wall, the better we will be able to work and will get the better results. Because time and tides wait for none and we are just another drop in the ocean.This wall will not only protect us from external invasions but also give us psychological strength to work better.

HOW TO BUILD A GREAT WALL WITHIN

Like the great wall, this wall too will be made up of bricks and mortars. The bricks of self discipline, positive thinking, positive attitude, patience and perseverance. Mortar of focus, will power, commitment and dedication. Believe in self and purpose in life will give the support to the wall. Polishing can be done using your creativity and powerful imagination. Building wall, will definitely take time, but, since Rome was not built in a single day, so will this wall take time.

But make sure to build it day by day and day after day , month after month and year after year and within a year you will see its true progress. First, it will protect you from the distraction dragon and then you can protect your entire family from the dragon and together with your own efforts and efforts of your family, you can help your friends, relatives and may be your entire community to win from this distraction dragon. Making your world and your castle, a true dream castle!

I have started collecting the wall material to build the Great Wall within. Are you also with me?

I know you read it right. The heading of today’s post says don’t forget to wear your attitude glasses everyday. And you know why?

Credits: Google Images

Because just after taking your bath everyday you look so good and feel so fresh! But it does not change your perspective towards people, things, matters, daily concerns, problems and challenges in your life everyday. So what do I suggest? I suggest that after taking your bath everyday, just wear your amazing attitude glasses and match them with your power dressing. This combination will not only make you look great but will also make you feel superbly unmatched! And yes, not only about yourself will you feel great but also about other people, places, matters and challenges in your life which you disliked for so long, at times, at the most, will now look the best opportunities dressed in disguise, looking suddenly so fresh!

Pain will soon become soothing balm and challenges will bloom into immense opportunities of growth. Sufferings in life will be revealed as chapters from the best seller books on wisdom literature and emotions of anger and feelings of hatred and jealous will be converted into feeling of eternal love and immense compassion. Happiness and peace will be within you and gratitude will be your full time gesture.

Okay, so now you can ask me from where did I find these glasses. Well, I found them in the books treasure trove. You know my secret by now, don’t you! The books by great leaders and authors such as Earl Nightingale, Napoleon Hill, Antony Robins, Brain Tracy, Robin Sharma, John C. Maxwell, Zig Ziglar and Winston Churchill just to name a few.

So, now it’s time to share their glasses of attitude with you, so that you and I, together can place an order for our own pairs of glasses of attitude and can improve our power of vision in life!

In words of John C. Maxwell

The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibly for our attitude. That’s the way we truly grow up.

Victor E. Frankl, the writer of a must read book, Man’s Search of Meaning says that

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

Khalil Gibran, the writer of all time favorite book, The Prophet says

Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.

Brian Tracy, one of my favorite authors says that …

You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.

Highlighting the attitude of gratitude he says that…

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.

And finally one of the greatest leaders of all time Winston Churchill says that

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

So, I think by wearing these glasses , we too, can see and make a big difference in our lives. I am ready to wear these glasses of attitude everyday. Are you ready with me?

I know you are a little surprised by this prank of mine! But never mind. I was just trying out to make this post a little different! Something creative, I guess!

Credits: Google Images

Well, I hope you enjoyed the above blank space. The empty space. This empty space needs to be filled with something, either work, thinking process, stillness or awakening of mindfulness which Eckhart Tolle , Leo Babuta and many Zen practitioners advocate.

But is it necessary always? This is my question. Though this would need some further discussion and therefore for today, just read what Umberto Eco, the author of famous novel, The Name of the Rose says.

According to Umberto Eco, the famous Italian writer, philosopher and a critic”… if you eliminate the empty spaces from the universe, eliminate the empty spaces in all the atoms? The universe will become as big as my fist…Similarly, we have a lot of empty spaces in our lives. I call them interstices…I work in empty spaces…Say you are coming over to my place. You are in an elevator and while you are coming up, I am waiting for you. This is an interstice, an empty space. I work in empty spaces. While waiting for your elevator to come up from the first to the third floor, I have already written an article!”

So, in a day, we have

24 Hours

1440 Minutes

and 86400 Seconds

And each day we are gifted with these invaluable moments and some of them are converted into empty spaces!

So, how do we spend these empty spaces is up to us.

How do we exploit and extract juice out of these empty spaces is up to us.

What do we draw on this huge canvas of every day making use of these empty spaces is up to us.

What to paint and how to paint on this every day canvas is up to us.

What to compose in this time frame of every day and using these empty spaces is up to us.

What to do and what not to do in every day empty spaces is up to us.

Therefore, how do we find these empty spaces in each day and create meaningful and creative things out of these is up to us.

So, why to blame others , circumstances, situations and problems in life for what is happening with us?

I think we must stop blaming others. Stop waiting for right moment and right time to take action. We must make this moment as the right moment. Just like I have done by writing this post and you are doing by reading this post. Find empty spaces in your life. And use them for yourself.